Having drawn from the expertise of Atradius Collections' local offices, the International Debt Collections Handbook explains the different regulations and procedures for debt collections in Belgium.

Amicable collections

General information

Atradius Collections maintains a professional collection process. We always try to safeguard the relationship between our clients and their debtors. Our team of collection specialists carry out the collection process in-house, contacting the debtors both verbally and in writing, whilst adhering to applicable Belgian laws. When there is a dispute, we aim to reach an amicable solution between the creditor and the debtor by analysing all contractual documents (e.g. signed contracts, orders, confirmations, invoices and delivery notes, as well as previously agreed terms and conditions). All investigations are completed with the assistance and agreement of our legal team.

Interest

In the amicable phase, Atradius Collections always charges interest to the debtor. The applied default rate is 12%.

Debt collection costs

In the amicable phase, we charge two types of collection costs:

A fixed amount of EUR 40 according to section 6 of the statute of 2nd August 2002 on late payment, regardless of the amount of the debt.

A penalty clause of 15% of the principal amount of the claim submitted to Atradius Collections. The interest and cost rates we are using are in line with the average rate applied by our clients.

At the request of the client, we can adapt the rate we are using according to their terms and conditions. From a cultural point of view, the recovery of late payment interest and collection costs is quite difficult. These penalties for late payment can be considered as a matter of negotiation between the debtor and the client.

The Debt Collections Handbook presents a snapshot of Belgium's economic situation and covers the following topic:

Accepted and most common payment methods

Types of companies

Retention of title

Legal procedures & legal system

Enforcement in debt, movable and immovable property

Insolvency proceedings

To read more about steps and procedures undertaken in debt collections in Belgium:

The statements made herein are provided solely for general informational purposes and should not be relied upon for any purpose. Please refer to the actual policy or the relevant product or services agreement for the governing terms. Nothing herein should be construed to create any right, obligation, advice or responsibility on the part of Atradius, including any obligation to conduct due diligence of buyers or on your behalf. If Atradius does conduct due diligence on any buyer it is for its own underwriting purposes and not for the benefit of the insured or any other person. Additionally, in no event shall Atradius and its related, affiliated and subsidiary companies be liable for any direct, indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages arising out of the use of the statements made information herein.